Coin selector



Oct. 6, 1942. B. E. MILLS 2,297,971

COIN SELECTOR Filed Oct. 1, 1937 2 Sheets-:Sheet l B. E. MILLS Oct, 6, 1942.

COIN s LEcTdR 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed 001:. l, 1937 Patented Oct. 6, 1942 2,297,971 ooIN SELECTOR Bert E. Mills, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Mills Novelty Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 1, 1937, Serial No. 166,767

6 Claims. (Cl. 194100) This invention relates to coin selectors of a type in which diamagnetic coins of silver are selected from other diamagnetic coins and slugs,-

as well as from coins and slugs of non-magnetic and paramagnetic materials. Such a device, employing a magnetic field to cause a divergence in the paths of travel of the various diamagnetic and non-magnetic coins and slugs, and a combined rebound member and separating barrier adapted to amplify the divergence of the closer trajectories, is disclosed in my Patent No. 2,250,048, issued July 22, 1941, and such disclosure is incorporated herein and made a part hereof by reference,

One object of the present invention is to increase the separating eificiency of a combined rebound member and separating barrier.

Another object is to provide a rebound member that is as effective in handling brand-new coins, as it is with respect to coins on which the edge knurlings have lost the sharp ridges that they possess when new.

Another object is to provide a rebound member on which coins of a given denomination will rebound uniformly, eliminating the occasional slipping that will occur where the coins rebound against a large diameter pin.

These objects are attained by employing instead of the heavy, large diameter rebound pin of the aforesaid copending application, a relatively small diameter, resilient pin of spring wire, or a resiliently mounted member having a narrow rebound face, adapted to enter between adjacent ridges of the knurling on the coin edge.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a coin chute embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a detail, vertical, transverse, sectional view showing the rebound member and associated parts;

Figure 4 is a detail, horizontal, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 6-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of a chute embodying a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the same, taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

A typical coin chute constructed in accordance with the present invention embodies a base plate It) to which are secured various members forming a series of thin, fiat passages beginningwith 55 an inlet passage II. From the lower end of the latter, a passage 12 extends laterally and downwardly. In the passage 12, undersized and ferrous coins and slugs are eliminated by means of a small coin eliminating device I21; and a horseshoe magnet I2b, respectively, as disclosed in my Patent No. 2,250,047, issued July 22, 1941. From the lower end of a block l3, forming the bottom of passage 12, non-ferrous coins of proper size will jump across the inlet of a scavenger passage I 4, following the trajectory indicated by the broken line, and will bounce from the dividing barrier 16, following the trajectory |1,into passage 18 extendingdownwardly.

The direction of rotation of the coin is reversed as it strikes the upper edge of block 19 at the point I8a. and it will thence proceed to roll down an inclined passage 20 of which the said upper edge of the block l9 forms the bottom. Just before it leaves the end 22 of the block I9, the coin traverses a magnetic field set up between the opposed poles of horseshoe magnets 2| mounted on either side of the passage 20, and will thereafter follow a trajectory modified by said magnetic field in accordance with the mag-' netic property of the coin.

Coins or slugs of nickel, brass, lead, or other material of low conductivity, will not be greatly retarded by the magnetic field, and will consequently follow long trajectories as indicated by the broken lines 23 and 23a.

Silver coins will be retarded by the passage through the magnetic field, and will follow an intermediate trajectory, as indicated by the line 24. Copper coins will be retarded a little more than silver coins and will follow a short trajectory 25 diverging slightly from the trajectory A combined separating barrier and rebound member is disposed so as to be contacted by coins following the trajectories 23a, 24, and 25. It comprises a round pin 21 of spring-steel wire, clamped between clamp members 28 and 29, the latter having a bracket portion 30 pivoted by a screw 3| to a supporting bar 32. A screw 33 projects through an arcuate slot 36 in the bracket 36 into the supporting bar 32 and, by loosening this screw 33, the bracket 30 may be adjusted so as to vary the position of the pin 21 along the width of the passage. The bar 32 is secured at its ends by screws 34 and washers 35 to the plate l0.

, The pin 21 extends at right angles to the plane of the passage 20, so as to be parallel to the axis of a coin striking it, and therefore parallel to the knurled ridges on the edges of the coin.

The pin is of such diameter that its transversely curved face will enter to some extent between adjacent ridges on the edge of the coin. Should a single ridge on a coin approaching the pin substantially squarelyi. e., along the line 24- initially contact the pin, the coin will rotate slightly owing to the fact that the ridge is roughly wedge-shaped and the surface of the pin curves sharply. This will bring a second ridge into contact with the pin, and further slippage between the two will be prevented as a result of the projection of a portion of the periphery of the pin between the ridges. The pin will thereupon yield under the impact of the coin in the direction of travel of the coin, and upon springing back, will throw the coin back in the general direction from which it approached the pin, but a squarely contacting coin is directed slightly to one side of the pin, so that the rebound carries it under the block is in a trajectory indicated by the broken line 36.

Coins thrown into the trajectory 36 will pass through the outlet 49.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the diameter of the spring pin or the thickness of the barrier, is a matter of importance in connection with the present invention. The sharpness of curvature of the rebound surface determines, to a large extent, the efiiciency of the member in taking hold of the coin and avoiding slippage. At the same time, the diameter of the pin where the resiliency is incorporated in the pin itself, has a direct bearing upon the amount of yield under impact by a coin, and the extent of the rebound.

Where, in a chute for U. S. dimes, the distance from the point where the pin emerges from the clamps 28, 29 to the plane of impact of the coin, is approximately /32 inch, the amount of drop from the point where the coin leaves the end 22 of the block I9 to the point where it strikes the pin 21 is approximately 1 /2 inches, the distance from said end 22 of said block to the pin 21 is about 1 /8", the drop from the point 18a to said block end 22 is about and the distance from the point l8a to said end 22 of block I9 is approximately 2", I find that the best results are secured by employing a wire in the neighborhood of .015 to .020 inch. For U. S. quarters, the dimensions and wire diameter are proportionately larger.

If the coin does not contact the pin substantially squarely, as when following the trajectory 24, but on one side, as when following the trajectory 25, the lateral push exerted against the pin, will cause the pin to yield laterally, allowing the coin to pass the pin with considerably less lateral deflection than would be produced by a rigid pin. This trajectory is indicated by the broken line 31.

Coins deflected into the trajectory 31 will pass through the outlet 39.

Where a rigid pin of large diameter is used, new coins with sharp ridges on their edges may not rebound uniformly. This is due to the fact that if a single ridge is centered in the line of contact with the pin, it may be crushed and the impact thereby absorbed, so that the rebound will be considerably less than normal. This possible difficulty is avoided by the present invention.

The arrangement is such that both silver and copper coins will contact the near side of the pin and be thrown back to that side. The coins and slugs of nickel, brass, lead, etc., following the trajectory 23, will, however, pass to the far side of the pin and either glancingly contact said side, as when following the trajectory 23a, or will clear the pin entirely, as when following the trajectory 23. These coins will pass out of the selector through the outlet 38.

Instead of the spring pin, a barrier may be employed which comprises a rigid member 4| having a narrow edge 42 for contact by the coin, and mounted at its ends upon resilient arms 43 secured at 44 to the plate I9, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Adjusting screws 63, threaded through brackets 64 secured to the plate ID, are, or may be, employed for engaging the arms 43 to adjust the position of the barrier 4 I.

It will, of course, be understood that Where, in the appended claims, I use the term yieldable, spring-return member I intend to include either the pin or wire 21 or the bar or member 4| with its supporting arms 43. While either form of device is satisfactory the first mentioned form is preferred.

The various passages hereinbefore described are formed as follows:

The passage H is formed between a scavenger gate 45, a scavenger sweeper plate (not shown) spaced inwardly therefrom, and a pair of spaced bars 41 and 48 securing said plates apart.

The passage I2 is formed between the plate I 0, the scavenger gate 45, and the block 13.

The passage I8 is formed between a chute member 49, the block IS, a flange 50 formed on one side of the chute member 49, and the plate ID.

The passage 29 is formed between the lower region 5| of the chute member 49, the block l9, the block l6, and a block 52 forming the bottom of the scavenger passage I 4.

The passage [4 is formed by the block 52, the block I3, the plate [0, and a scavenger chute wall member 53, the latter extending into a plane offset laterally from the plane of said passages l2, I8 and 20, so as to receive coins swept from the block 13 by the scavenger gate and sweeper plate above mentioned, along the path indicated by the broken line 54.

The block 52 is spaced from the vertical flange 55 of a downwardly extending leg 56 of the scavenger chute wall member 53 to form a vertical extension 51 of the passage M. The scavenging outlet 38, disposed directly below the passage 51, is formed between the flange 55 and the rebound pin 21.

The outlet 39 for copper coins, slugs, etc., is formed between the pin 21 and a barrier 59 over i which the acceptable coins bounce into the acceptable coin outlet 40 formed between the barrier 59 and a barrier 6|.

The outlets 38 and 39 may communicate with a single chute for conveying rejected coins and slugs back to the customer or to a rejection receptacle, and the outlet 49 Will be positioned over a chute for conveying the accepted coins to the coin-controlled operating mechanism (not shown) and thence to the usual cash box.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coin selector having a coin passage, means to deliver coins in a series of diverging trajectories varying in accordance with the characteristics of the coin delivered, and a resilient following an intermediate trajectory, and to throw such coin back to an extreme discharge position on its near side, and to be contacted glancingly on its near side by a coin following a short trajectory and to allow such coin to pass to a discharge position intermediate said extreme positions, the point of contact of the coins with said pin being substantially spaced from the point of anchorage of the pin whereby to obtain a yielding of the pin under the momentum of the coins and a rebound effect of the pin upon the coins.

2. In a coin selector having a coin passage, a rebound member comprising a yielding pin of spring wire traversing said passage at a right angle to the plane thereof, and means to direct coins upon said pin at slightly varying points of contact, said pin, because of its yielding characteristic, serving to greatly magnify the divergence of the trajectories of such coins, the point of contact of the coins with said pin being substantially spaced from the point of anchorage of the pin whereby to obtain a yielding of the pin under the momentum of the coins and a rebound eifect of the pin upon the coins.

3. In a coin selector having a thin, flat coin passage, a yieldable, spring-return rebound member having a relatively long, narrow, transversely curved face traversing said passage at a right angle to the plane thereof, means for anchoring said member, and means to direct coins upon said rebound member over slightly different trajectories at slightly varying points of contact, said yieldable, spring-return member serving to greatly magnify the divergence of the trajectories of said coins, the point of contact of the coins with said member being substantially spaced from the point of anchorage of the member, whereby to obtain a yielding of the member under the impact of the coins and a rebound effect of the member upon the coins.

4. In a coin selector, means providing a thin, flat coin passage through which coins may drop by gravity at an angle to the vertical, means providing a plurality of discharge passages out of alignment with said first-mentioned passage, a yieldable, spring-return rebound member having a relatively long, narrow, transversely curved face so positioned in said first-mentioned passage as to be struck crosswise by coins dropping through said passage and to cause said coins to rebound into one of said discharge passages, and means for causing coins of different composition to strike said rebound member at difierent angles, thus determining the one of said discharge passages into which a particular coin will be directed on the rebound, the portion of said rebound member contacted by the coins being yieldable under the impact of the latter whereby said member will have a rebound effect upon the coins directing them, respectively, into the appropriate discharge passage.

5. In a coin selector, means providing a thin, fiat coin passage through which coins may drop by gravity at an angle to the vertical, means providing a plurality of discharge passages out of aligmnent with said first-mentioned passage, a yieldable, spring-return rebound member having a relatively long, narrow, transversely curved face so positioned in said first-mentioned passage as to be struck crosswise by coins dropping through such passage and to cause said coins to rebound into one of said discharge passages, means for causing coins of difierent composition to strike said rebound member at different angles, thus determining the one of said discharge passages into which a particular coin will be directed on the rebound, the portion of said rebound member contacted by the coins being yieldable under the impact of the latter whereby said member will have a rebound effect upon the coins directing them, respectively, into the appropriate discharge passage, and means for adjusting the position of said rebound member along the width of said first mentioned passage.

6. In a coin selector, means providing a coin passage through which coins may drop by gravity at an angle to the vertical, means providing a plurality of discharge passages out of alignment with said first-mentioned passage, a resilient rebound member so positioned in said first-mentioned passage as to be struck crosswise by coins dropping through such passage and to cause said coins to rebound into one of said discharge passages, and means for causing coins of difierent composition to strike said rebound member at different angles, thus determining the one of said discharge passages into which a particular coin will be directed on the rebound, the portion of said rebound member contacted by the coins being yieldable under the impact of the latter whereby said member will have a rebound effect upon the coins directing them, respectively, into the appropriate discharge passage, said rebound member being a slender pin of spring material.

BERT E. MILLS. 

